as bo finds his legs the offense opens up

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As Bo Nix finds his legs, Auburn’s offense opens up

Today 6:00 AM

 

By Giana Han

When Bo Nix uses his legs, things run more smoothly for Auburn.

Nix demonstrated that on the first drive in the 55-16 win against Kent State. He presented himself as a running threat with a pair of back-to-back runs for 17 and 18 yards, which set Boobee Whitlow up for the first touchdown of the game.

“It felt really good,” Nix said Saturday after the game. “They gave us the situation where I could pull it and they didn’t really have anybody for the quarterback.”

Auburn ran a zone scheme against Kent State and realized the defensive ends were starting to squeeze, which meant no one was containing Nix.

Nix only finished with 21 rushing yards on seven carries because of the adjustments Kent State made — but the adjustments Kent State made for him were what helped the other runners find success.

“Because when the quarterback starts running, they put other guys on it, and you lose guys inside in the gaps,” Nix said.

Auburn went on to rush for 467 yards on 62 attempts against Kent State.

“He was able to keep it a couple times, and that really changed things,” coach Gus Malzahn said Sunday.

Auburn’s offense also experienced a spark when Nix ran the ball in the Tulane game. The Tigers had just 20 rushing yards on 13 carries going into halftime. Then Nix came out and kept the ball for a 13-yard gain on the first drive of the third quarter. After that, Auburn ran for 138 more yards.

Granted, the fact that Auburn ran more than twice as much in the second half against Tulane and increased its rush attempts again against Kent State played a factor, but Malzahn said having Nix run — and run early — opens up the middle from the beginning.

After seeing Nix run, Auburn’s next opponent is already preparing to try to contain him.

“Bo can run,” Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M’s head coach, said on Monday.

It will be a “number one” priority for the Aggies to affect the quarterback, Fisher said, but they’ve got to be careful how they go about doing that. The pass rush needs to affect Nix, but it can’t open running lanes for him. An open running lane is like a “best friend” to a young, athletic quarterback like Nix.

“it’s like getting a foul shot or a breakaway layup for guys as scorers, you know what I’m saying?” Fisher said. “They get that confidence and get it going.”

Nix’s confidence in his running ability has already seen an increase since the start of the season.

Although he ran seven times against Oregon, much of the time he was scrambling and trying to avoid being sacked. Nix’s 13-yard rush against Tulane looked more purposeful, but it was a standalone performance.

When he came out against Kent State, though, Nix looked more comfortable running the offense than he had before. On the first drive, he mixed it up by passing the ball, handing it off and keeping it. Although running is more of a “feel thing” than planned, the two long runs he pulled off on that drive were a result of his growing comfort.

“The more I play and the more I get comfortable, I think I'll be more efficient of a runner,” Nix said.

Nix said he knows he’s not as physical as backup quarterback Joey Gatewood, who rushed for 21 yards against Tulane and 102 yards against Kent State, but he’s making up for it with his decision-making.

“I just try to get as much as I can and just be smart in the situations I’m in,” Nix said. “And if I have to go down, I’ll go down. If it’s a type of situation where I need to get as much as I can, I’ll do that.”